End of Winter - through Levana's perspective
by nisaeiam
Summary: So I tried to imagine what was going through Levana's head during the battle at the palace and ended up writing this, ENJOY...


"_**Fine. Fine. I surrender"**_

Levana said the words quietly, as if talking to herself. She was tired. She let her body slump into the fullness of her gown, not minding the traitorous hand still holding the gun to her temple. She almost forgot it was there at all.

"I relinquish my crown to you, my country, my throne. Take it all. Just. . .let me be. Let me have my beauty again. _Please_."

Cinder sat across her studying her.

Cinder.

_Selene_. Channary's wretched daughter.

Her niece – who was supposed to be dead long ago.

Yet here she was, as if digging herself out from her own grave to haunt her.

Levana finally had it all, everything she have always wanted, and Selene had to come and take it all away from her.

It frustrates her to give up this easily. All those sacrifices and struggles she went through to be the best queen Luna has ever seen – and yet her country, _her_ people still won't see it. _Wasn't it all enough?_

She let her shoulders droop in defeat. She was too exhausted to even call up a glamour, and what for? They already saw what was behind it – already know the monstrosity of a secret she tried to kept hidden all those years.

A sliver of pity etched across Selene's face and she felt a sudden rage burst inside her head. Pity was the last thing she wanted from this girl.

"I accept" she heard her say.

The treacherous hand started to lower the gun away from her head and Levana saw that the girl had her palm stretched out before her. It took her a moment, staring at it for a while before placing the gun into her hand.

_She wasn't going to let it be this easy._

The glint of the forgotten knife on the floor flickered past her eyes before lodging into her niece's heart. The action sent them both tumbling to the floor.

Levana was trembling with rage now as she clutched the hilt of the knife still embedded into the girl's chest. Selene's face is contorted in pain and for an instant, she saw Channary in front of her. Her _sister_ – writhing in anguish under her. She held the knife tighter and twisted it, _hard_. Selene cried out in agony as Levana tried to dig the blade deeper into her heart.

Then a _bang_.

The blast knocked her back hitting her head against the marble stone of the throne before lying sprawled behind it. The blow sent her thoughts spinning. A liquid started pooling in her stomach just below her sternum and she raised her hand to cover it, though it didn't do much as the blood seeped between her fingers, warm and sticky. Her eyes dazedly darted to the ceiling and a galaxy opened up before her, welcoming.

She tried to look at all the stars but the image is all foggy. Black spots started to appear at the corner of her vision and she shut her eyes, slowly, as if falling asleep.

What did she ever do to deserve this? She did everything for Luna – for her people. They were the closest she ever had to a family. After all, she was just a girl who wanted to belong, a girl who wanted to be loved. So she loved them and they loved her.

Except, they _didn't_.

Had she even known what love felt like?

She had been certain that the people of Luna loved her but now, she couldn't even know if it was real adoration or just fear.

She had been certain that Evret, her husband, loved her but now, she couldn't even remember how it felt.

_Love is a conquest. Love is a war._

It was a war, she realized, that was raging inside her; a constant struggle of what is real and not, a war that is destroying her very being from the inside out. And it was a war she wasn't meant to win.

She felt a spark crackle beneath her back, a warm tingle embracing her despite her hands and toes going numb from coldness. There was a loud crash of a door followed by muddled noises, indistinctive clatters. Her eyelids were too heavy to open and she felt her strength and awareness leaving her body. As she drifts into unconsciousness, she heard a voice so familiar it sent chills into her somewhat burning body.

"_Come here baby sister. . ."_

Powerless to fight, she let herself sink into the pyre. Coals sizzling as it came in contact with her skin, burning her body until nothing was left but smoke and ashes.


End file.
